The S.O.N.G. helicopters arrived on the scene faster than either of the women had anticipated. Once the area was confirmed to be secured by arriving personnel, Team-04 and the unconscious woman in their company were duly escorted into a helicopter for their rescuee to be cared for using an array of readied medical equipment. The pod they found alongside her was also secured within the hatch of a large air carrier the paranormal task force apparently requisitioned. With the silver-haired woman now out of Lanfen's hands, the ride towards a docked underwater vessel went on in complete silence as the team rested up within the crowded metal interior of a moving aircraft.
When the helicopter's landing skids finally touched down in a submarine's landing bay, the silver-haired woman was immediately handed over to a waiting medical team led by Professor Elfnein. Since their unconscious rescuee's vitals were perfectly stable, there was little urgency when the medical team escorted her over to the vessel's medical bay. If anything, a smaller team of researchers who were accompanying the Professor appeared far more interested with the Illuminati pod which had been slowly deposited onto the landing bay. Meanwhile, the members of Team-04 were called up to the vessel's bridge by the Commander to assess the situation. Going by the chatter of the submarine crew they passed by in the corridors, all of the other Adaptors had already departed the vessel hours ago.
The bridge's large double-doors slid open and Lanfen marched into the command center with Ayano and Godai at her sides. The three then halted in front of the Commander's post and stood to attention. Their civilian clothing made them appear particularly out of place amongst the uniformed personnel while Lanfen formally announced their arrival with a fresh bandage on her injured cheek. "Symphogear Team-04, reporting."
Carrying a small data-pad in one hand, Commander Genjuuro got up from his post and waved off the formalities. "At ease, you three. I've just finished reading the report on the situation in Yamaku's outskirts. Good work in taking care of the Distortions." He looked over to Lanfen in particular and stroked his red goatee in thought. "You may have acted rashly, but combat situations admittedly call for such measures sometimes. Still, I would advise you to not leave your teammates all by themselves whenever an urgent situation arrives, Lanfen."
The Adaptor gulped and lowered her head into an apologetic bow. "Understood, Commander."
Ayano gave Lanfen a playful pat on the back before redirecting her attention towards Commander Genjuuro. "Have we found out anything about our mystery maiden yet?"
The Commander answered her question by glancing over to his closest bridge operators. "Fujitaka, bring up her medical reports." In accordance with his order, multiple files and images regarding the silver-haired women were displayed across the bridge's three large monitor screens. "To start things off, our science team is quite impressed with your recent findings." He pointed to a photograph that Godai had taken of the damaged pod. "Judging by our records, Komichi was correct in pinpointing its Illuminati origins. There's no doubt it's the same type of hibernation pod the Illuminati once used to transport their personnel."
Godai whistled in amazement. "The Illuminati's toys really get around, huh?" Her comment earned her an unamused stare from both Lanfen and Ayano. Godai piped down in an instant. "I'm just sayin'."
Quietly clicking her tongue at the tall woman beside her, Lanfen spoke to the Commander with a brief question on her lips. "What do we know about the woman we rescued?"
Several additional images digitized onto the screens. This time, the photographs displayed snapshots of three individuals who Lanfen vaguely recognized. The first person was an adult woman with brown skin and prominent cybernetic enhancements. The second was a teenage girl with bright, pink hair and defined canine characteristics. The third was of a woman with dark-blue hair which was adorned with a white bow and prominent streak of crimson. Noble Red. Lanfen remembered the name. They were the trio who had carried out the infamous massacre during a Kazanari Tsubasa concert nearly five years ago. Lanfen had considered herself blessed at the time that neither her little sister nor herself were present when the incident occurred.
"We've checked our database and have matched her straight-jacket with the ones utilized by the Illuminati," Commander Genjuuro continued, placing his data-pad down on his terminal to cross his large arms across his chest. His tone quickly took a dour turn. "Our science team have also discovered data-files within the pod you found. From what they've managed to decrypt, the files describe the woman as... 'discarded equipment'. No ID. No records of her past. In short, we can only assume that she's an abandoned experiment of the Bavarian Illuminati."
The idea of humans being treated like equipment - and all of its implications - left a disgusting aftertaste in Lanfen's mouth. But what drew the Adaptor's ire the most was the thought of their rescuee being casted aside by whomever was responsible for her circumstances, essentially leaving her to die alone in a snowy forest. Merely pondering about it ended up resurfacing several discorded memories within Lanfen's mind as she gave her seniors a side-glance and noticed how they were completely unfazed by the Commander's explanation. Lanfen wondered just what sort of experiences both Ayano and Godai had gone through after being in S.O.N.G. for longer than herself. It was roughly only 12 hours ago when the Adaptor wrote her signature into a digital recruitment document.
Tomosato turned around in her chair and addressed the large man in front of the trio, "Commander, we've just received new intel from Professor Elfnein. I'm bringing it up on the screen." After receiving a confirmation from Commander Genjuuro, Tomosato inputted an order into her terminal, showcasing the results of a recent MRI scan on the bridge's central monitor screen. Simultaneously, everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the clear image of a metallic contraption which appeared to be attached to the upper regions of their subject's heart.
A perturbed Lanfen fixated her pupils on to the screen. "What... is that?"
"Professor Elfnein states that some sort of device had been surgically-implanted within the subject's internal organs," Tomosato stated, reading out a delivered report from her terminal. "We are currently unable to determine the implant's purpose, and judging by the Professor's observations, there is no discernible way of removing it without causing permanent damage to the subject's cardiovascular system. There are no signs of energy emissions from the implant and we are unable to identify the type of metal that had been used to form it. In addition-" The bridge operator paused for a second, clearly unnerved by what she was reading out loud. "The subject's cells appear to be aging at an accelerated rate. We are unsure what is causing this, but Professor Elfnein is already preparing medication in an attempt to stabilize her condition."
Ayano muttered a few hush words of concern while Godai shook her head and scoffed. "Sounds like the Illuminati, alright. Always screwin' around with their messed-up lab projects."
The aforementioned metallic implant was roughly designed in the stylized shape of a club suit. The same symbol one could typically find in a deck of playing cards. Approximately measured to be a few centimeters in diameter, Lanfen could not gaze at the implant with anything other than restrained horror. When she tried to close her eyes, the memory of a woman's weakening stare only replayed itself beneath her eyelids. There was no doubt about it. When Lanfen had gazed into those flickering, golden eyes, it was as if time suddenly ceased to exist for that brief moment.
Commander Genjuuro turned away from the MRI scan's results and said to the operator, "Give the Professor our thanks, Tomosato. Have any of our teams learned of anything else?"
Fujitaka turned around in his chair with a response of his own to the Commander's query. "Affirmative, Commander. We've just received word from med-bay," he stated, holding one hand on top of his terminal's digital interface. "The subject has already regained consciousness and is physically capable of communication. Aside from her unknown implant and apparent medical condition, the subject appears to be perfectly healthy."
Obviously taken aback by how fast their rescuee came to, the Commander turned around and ran his gaze over the three waiting members of Team-04. "Normally, I'd ask Ogawa or Tsuchiya to accompany me, but neither of them are currently available," he said with a hand on his goatee. "So, would you three like to accompany me in meeting with our patient?"
Lanfen answered first with a sharp nod. "If that is alright with you, Commander."
"We've got to make sure that our mystery maiden is doing fine, after all," Ayano cheerfully added.
"Try not to bore her, Komi'," Godai told the brunette. "The last thing we need is her falling asleep again from another one of your little love stories." Her sarcastic remark drew a playful, childlike pout from Ayano while Lanfen quietly sighed to herself between the duo.
With the group's decision now made, the Commander conveyed his departure from the bridge to his operators and ordered them to relax for the meantime before heading over towards the entrance. Ayano let out another long, unshielded yawn and Godai chided the woman about getting more sleep next time. Following the two from behind as the trio walked behind the Commander, Lanfen barely paid any attention to her teammates while they exited the command center. Before the bridge's double-doors closed themselves shut, Lanfen subconsciously halted in her footsteps, glanced over one shoulder, and focused on the lingering photographs on the monitor screens with a pair of narrowed eyes.
"'Discarded equipment', huh?" she bitterly whispered to herself, digging her fingernails into the palms of her bare hands.
The distinct smell of antiseptics was almost impossible to ignore inside the submarine's medical-bay. Accompanying the Commander through its long corridors, the group was escorted into their intended destination by a member of the vessel's nursing crew. The patient's room appeared just like what one would normally expect from a med-bay. It contained a reclining bed, a bedside drawer, and an array of medical equipment Lanfen would never dare attempt to operate. The ceiling lights kept the room brightly-lit as the sliding door closed behind the arriving group. Sitting upright in her bed was the silver-haired woman, her one visible eye currently examining her surroundings with a glimmer of fascination.
"Would it be alright if you could spare us your time?" Commander Genjuuro kindly asked her with his arms crossed over his chest.
It was only after she heard him addressing her did their rescuee finally glance over to the assembled group. Currently dressed in a patient's garb with a blanket draped over her lower body, the woman gave off the impression that she had not even noticed their presence up until now. She first assessed them with a golden eye before politely responding in a soft-spoken voice. "That would be quite fine, yes." She gave a slight dip of the head and ran one hand through her silver hair while its fringes concealed the entire right side of her face.
The Commander stepped over to a small computer terminal situated beside the room's entrance and inputted a sequence of button presses. Within seconds, several small chairs were deployed along the wall in front of their patient's bed, letting the group comfortably sit down. For the time being, Lanfen and her two teammates kept quiet as the Commander dropped himself onto a chair which was far too small for him and began their introductions. Lanfen partially noted how he was speaking in the same manner as when the Commander first met with her a day or two ago.
"My name is Kazanari Genjuuro, Tactical Commander of S.O.N.G.," he carefully explained, now gesturing over to the trio who accompanied him. "This is Cassandra Jiang Lanfen, Ayano Komichi, and Godai Yuki. Members of Symphogear Team-04." The Commander's words seemed to initially confuse their rescuee. But she listened on anyway with a genuine expression of curiosity. "As members of S.O.N.G., our duty is to deal with paranormal forces that threaten the world, all while ensuring the protection of its denizens. Roughly one hour ago, these women had rescued you within the forests of Japan. I've been informed about you were under attack before they came to your aid."
The silver-haired woman suddenly grasped the side of her head.
A pained wince briefly escaped her afterwards.
Everyone was about to motion for assistance until she hastily waved off their obvious concerns with an embarrassed smile. "M-My apologies for that. Ahem..." Coughing into her fist, the woman ran her golden eyes over the assembled four in front of her and slowly cupped a pale cheek within one hand. Their rescuee appeared to be taking in her situation without much trouble. "So, would it be incorrect of me to describe you as the guardians of this world?"
The Commander responded to her flowery words with an amused smile and a subsequent nod. Sitting beside him, Ayano chuckled at the woman's dramatic description while Godai muttered an off-handed comment about her princess-esque speech. It was not an incorrect way to describe it, Lanfen thought to herself. In spite of all the numerous severe circumstances they had learned of their rescuee earlier, the silver-haired woman still conducted herself in a perfectly-pleasant manner as they resumed conversation with one another.
With a pale-white palm still placed on her cheek, the woman assessed the group before her again with her one visible eye, obviously fascinated by the individuals who had pulled her out of danger. When her golden gaze landed on Lanfen again, the Adaptor sensed the woman's pupils suddenly light up with recognition this time. "It's you," she whispered, gripping the bedsheets underneath her other hand. "You were the one who saved me, weren't you? The singing warrior in monochrome armour?"
Her direct questions caught Lanfen off-guard. The Adaptor had honestly expected her to forget what even occurred in that forest glade. Scratching her bandaged cheek with one finger, Lanfen shoved her hands inside the pockets of her winter jacket, quickly noticing how everyone's attention now fell upon her. "There really was nothing else I could have done in that situation," she insisted, remembering the blinding haste at which she moved towards her rescuee. "I-" Lanfen felt a small nudge in the arm. She glanced at Ayano to notice an expression that essentially screamed 'go along with it'. Lanfen subsequently changed her tune into a hesitant question. "Are... you feeling any better?"
"Aside from a minor headache? I would say so." The silver-haired woman gently nodded. She then lowered her gaze onto the palms of her hands with an increasing look of confusion. "Still, while all of you undoubtedly have my gratitude for saving my life... I'm... I'm afraid it's becoming rather difficult for me to try and... introduce myself." She grabbed the side of her head with one hand again and briefly let out a hush, frustrated exhale. "It appears that I'm unable to remember anything about who I... really am. I'm attempting to p-prove otherwise, but..."
Commander Genjuuro shared a concerned look with the members of Team-04. "Do you at least remember anything about how you arrived in that forest?"
The pale woman's hands fell onto her sides and she sadly shook her head. "All I can remember is... running... and climbing into some sort of contraption. I- Forgive me." She clasped her hands together, clearly trying whatever she reasonably could to scrounge up any sort of memories she held. In the process of doing so, Lanfen noticed hints of small, glimmering teardrops which were now forming around her golden eyes.
Pursing her lips together, Lanfen's hands tightly gripped her knees before she rose up from her chair and approached one of the room's shelves. The Adaptor went through its boxes of equipment and medical supplies until she finally pulled out a small container of tissues from the lower shelves. "Here." Lanfen opened it up and placed it on top of the bedside drawer. Since she had grown tired of her own tears over the past few days, Lanfen did not intend to see someone else going through the same messy process. "You don't need to apologize for your troubles. Especially when it's not something that's in your control to begin with."
"... Thank you." Visibly astounded by the sudden gesture, their rescuee took out a few tissues while Lanfen stepped back towards her chair and quietly sat down between her two teammates. The crystal pendant around her neck and the toy keychain that hung from the phone in Lanfen's pocket softly jingled in unison as she habitually tightened the black-and-white scarf around her neck. Once the silver-haired woman had finished wiping away her tears, she placed the balled-up tissues next to the opened container and quietly sighed. "Is there-"
The room door slid open again. Announcing her presence with a tray of hot drinks from Tomosato in her hands, Professor Elfnein greeted their surprised patient with a polite nod and carefully settled down her items on the room's bedside drawer, much to the appreciation of everyone present. The room's atmosphere could be felt lightening up while the Professor handed the first drink to their rescuee. The Commander was next, followed by Lanfen, Godai, and Ayano. Holding her own distinct mug in her possession, Professor Elfnein approached Commander Genjuuro's side afterwards, and began whispering a report that Lanfen could vaguely perceive from where she was sitting.
"I've attempted to examine her memories using my equipment, but she truly appears to hold no memory regarding her identity at all. And thus far, our investigative team's efforts have been unsuccessful in finding any public records that match her physical description."
Despite the Professor's hush voice, Lanfen could notice the silver-haired woman visibly tightening her hold around the mug in her hands. Ayano was quick to chime in. "Well, even if we're running into a bit of trouble for now, I'm sure we'll be able to solve this mess in no time." The brunette held up her hot cocoa with a cheerful smile. "That's what S.O.N.G. does best, after all! Right?" Accompanying her high spirits was Godai, who also held up her own mug with a confident smirk. Lanfen chose to not mirror their actions, but she appreciated her teammate's attempts at cozying up the conversation regardless.
Sipping his gigantic mug with a grunt of approval, the Commander looked back at their patient and carefully told her, "We're quite concerned with the implant we discovered in your scans. Has it been inducing any pained sensations or anything else of sorts?"
The silver-haired woman subsequently pressed five fingertips against her sternum with a curious tilt of her head. "No, thankfully," she quietly answered, glancing back at the sloshing contents of her drink. "I'm... not even sure why I have this implant within me to begin with. Though, I suppose that was obviously the case by now. Forgive me."
"It's alright," Genjuuro reassured her, getting up from his chair with his drink in one hand. "For now, just try and rest up. You can leave the situation to us. If you need anything, don't be afraid to use the room's communicator to ring us up." The Commander's motions prompted Lanfen and her two teammates to also get up from their seats. "Professor Elfnein," he addressed the blonde teenager with streaks of green in her hair, "we'll be counting on you as always to assist this woman. Understood?" Emphasizing his words with a raise of his mug, the Professor responded through a small, confident bow.
Settling her drink down on the drawer beside her bed, the silver-haired woman looked at the gathered individuals around her and held an open hand to her chest. "Thank you... all of you," she softly told them. "I hope that my troubles will not cause too much of an inconvenience. If I am required to fulfill anything, you may rely on me to do so."
Ayano smiled at her before flashing their rescuee a peace sign with both of her hands. The meaning of the gesture seemed to fly right over the silver-haired woman's head, strangely enough. "Don't worry about it! Just take your time catching up on things. It must've been pretty awful lying in that forest all by yourself, after all!"
Seeing the quick thumbs-up from Godai and a small nod of agreement from Lanfen, the woman drew in a breath to relax herself and brought her hot beverage into her grasp again. The silver-haired woman slowly lifted the drink to her lips. When she finally took a mouthful of its hot cocoa, her one visible eye widened with obvious amazement. Lanfen quietly wondered if this was the first time she had ever tasted cocoa in her life.
Now that their meeting with their patient was concluded, the Commander headed out of the room and continued a small conversation with Professor Elfnein at his side. Ayano and Godai dutifully followed them from behind. Lanfen was the last to head towards the exit. As the Adaptor stepped through the opened doorway, Lanfen noticed the pleasant smile their rescuee was giving her along with a small wave of her hand. Much to her own surprise, Lanfen was able to return the gesture in kind with a momentary smile of her own. There was a hint of sorrow which Lanfen couldn't help but perceive behind the silver-haired woman's gentle expression.
A sorrow that was buried beneath a façade which Lanfen herself found to be all too familiar.
With the absence of any ongoing operations, the members of Symphogear Team-04 were allowed to relax within the S.O.N.G. submarine's commons lounge. At some point, Commander Genjuuro himself had joined them, taking this as an opportunity to step behind the bar so he could showcase a custom drink recipe that had apparently been perfected over the recent months. While Lanfen and Ayano sat down at the counter with their elbows on its hard marble, Godai kept herself occupied with the lounge's dart-boards. To the Adaptor's silent amazement, each of Godai's thrown darts would zip through the air and land perfectly in the center of her target, even when the field agent kept her eyes shut.
The Commander opened up the cupboards behind him and placed down four empty glasses on the bar counter. He made sure to wipe each of them clean with a rag before resuming a conversation regarding their recent rescuee. "Truth be told, this isn't the first time we've brought someone like her into S.O.N.G.; Professor Elfnein herself didn't exactly arrive on our doorstep through mundane circumstances either." He retrieved a blender near his leg and picked up a strainer from a nearby drawer. "Still, that implant within her chest has my concerns."
Three dart missiles rocketed into another board through a single fling of Godai's hand. One-by-one, the small darts landed side-by-side, cleanly crowding up the board's small center. "You think we can just have her stay 'ere to keep her safe?" Now that three out of the five available dart-boards had their centers completely occupied by swarms of dart missiles, Godai rested her arms behind her head and glanced over to Commander Genjuuro. "This place does have everything you'd need to help her recover, right?"
Ayano spun around on her bar seat and promptly wagged her finger with a groan. "The U.N. isn't going to let someone like her stay here so easily, Yuki." The brunette kicked the air with her feet, obviously harbouring her own annoyance for the governmental powers they operated under. "We're still treading on thin ice after what the Distortions did. Because of that, there's no way we'd be allowed to let her remain here without the council eventually sticking their noses in our business."
Hearing an exasperated response from Godai, Lanfen simply observed the Commander as he delicately poured out a mixture of fruit juice into the four glasses he had set up. The results of his craft was comparable to seeing a rainbow assume a thick, liquid form. To top it all off, Commander Genjuuro decorated each glass with a bright-red umbrella which had the word 'Kazanari' written on them. "Thanks," Lanfen muttered when he smoothly slid a glass over to the Adaptor. Taking her hands out of her jacket, Lanfen soon noticed the contemplative look Commander Genjuuro subtly wore. "Is there something wrong, Commander?"
The Commander leaned his body against the counter and tapped one finger against its marble. "Lanfen, Komichi, Yuki," he calmly addressed the three women, "what would you all say if I chose to place that woman underneath your supervision?" Bringing one glass over to the brunette next to Lanfen, Commander Genjuuro glanced at both Ayano and Godai. "Since you two are already monitoring Lanfen, adding an additional person for you two to watch over should be within my influence. My only concern is whether or not any of you will be willing to bear the responsibility for her care and safety."
Remembering the gaze that woman had given her when they filed out of her room, Lanfen pulled out a red pendant from underneath her black-and-white scarf. She held the crimson crystal between two fingers and slowly narrowed her eyes. It somehow felt heavier than when she had first received it several nights ago. "... When I took up my duty as a Wielder, I accepted the possibility of bearing weights far greater than anything I could imagine, Commander." She released her pendant and let it fall back onto her chest with a soft jingle. "Besides, I've already promised that I wouldn't have second-thoughts about the orders I'm given."
Commander Genjuuro slowly nodded at her claims, seemingly noting the conversation they held earlier over her communicator. "I'm aware, Lanfen." He looked back at her two teammates again. "And what about the two of you?"
After completely occupying the center of the lounge's fifth and final dart-board with a crowd of dart missiles, Godai strolled over to the counter and dropped herself onto a seat next to Ayano. She gave an impressed whistle at the fruit juice which had been reserved for her before confidently replying, "An amnesiac gal shouldn't be too hard for us to handle, Big Boss. We've done a lot worse than this, so this should be a walk in the park. Right, Komi'?"
Ayano happily agreed with her companion and saluted their Commander. "It definitely sounds like a good idea to me. I'm sure she'd appreciate staying with people whom she's familiar with until her memory comes back. It's a lot better than resting up all by herself in some sterile med-bay, too!" Clasping her hands around one another, Ayano's eyes suddenly lit up, giving off the vibes that a proverbial lightbulb now shone above her head. "Oh, if she's staying with us, then we'd have to get her some nice clothes, too! Exactly my field of expertise!"
As Ayano began nudging Godai for a couple ideas on where they should start shopping later, Lanfen noticed the satisfied smile Commander Genjuuro was giving them. In one swift motion, the Commander chugged down his own drink before placing the emptied glass within the bar counter's sink. He promptly dusted his hands and stepped away from the bar. "If that's the case, I'll be heading off to assign her to your team now. Fabricating the necessary documents for her should only take a moment once I've contacted Clan Hida." Stopping at the lounge's entrance, Commander Genjuuro turned back to the members of Team-04, stating, "Good luck, all of you. Try to get as much rest as you can before sunrise."
Ayano hopped off her seat and responded with a far more dramatic salute this time. "You can leave it to us!" Behind her, Godai got off her own chair and mirrored her actions. Lanfen tentatively followed the duo, purely just to abide by protocol now that the Commander was taking his leave.
Commander Genjuuro nodded in approval at the trio and subsequently headed off without another word. Unlike the members of Team-04, the Commander carried many duties completely unrelated to field combat. Lanfen herself was ready to spring into action at the first sign of a Distortion incursion. But that did not stop her from bringing a icy glass of colourful juice to her cracking lips. Just like Commander Genjuuro himself, she downed the entire thing in one go, and placed the emptied drink on the counter before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Just like she expected, Lanfen still couldn't taste anything. Still, the Adaptor was relieved that her stomach had yet to riot against her for skipping dinner.
Lanfen felt someone's gaze fall upon her.
Slowly, she looked over her shoulder and noticed the curious stare which Godai was giving her. While Ayano sat back down to fiddle with her smartphone, Godai remained standing with a drink held in one hand.
"So," Godai said, raising one eyebrow, "you wanna explain what made you rush out of the van earlier?" Her direct question made Lanfen flinch in her seat.
Subtly perking her ears at her companion's curiosity, Ayano herself quickly pocketed her smartphone and looked over to their junior with a finger on her lip. "Now that you mentioned it, that was pretty sudden of Jiang, wasn't it?" she genuinely wondered out loud. "While the Commander did have a point about taking the initiative sometimes, I honestly didn't expect you to go out and charge into danger like that."
Lanfen's sword-hand twitched at her side as she sat beneath the inquisitive stares of her teammates. When she opened her mouth to speak, the Adaptor's answer was calm and straight-to-the-point. "... I couldn't stand by and wait when someone could've been hurt. So, I moved. I didn't need to think." There was no point in being dishonest with them. Especially when Lanfen had placed them in potential danger by abandoning her teammates like she did. "The last time-" The Adaptor snapped her focus back over to the marble counter. Her throat suddenly felt dry. "The last time I hesitated... my sister..."
Ayano and Godai withdrew their curiosity the moment they registered those hush words. Noticing the subtle scowl that grew across Lanfen's face, Ayano quietly got off her bar seat and gently wrapped her arms around the Adaptor in a comforting hug. Unlike the one from earlier in the day, Lanfen could tell that Ayano was handling her as if Lanfen was made out of delicate glass. "Am I being too forward?" Ayano asked, presumably just to be sure.
Lanfen tried to respond. Instead, she remained silent and slowly shook her head.
Eventually, Ayano pulled herself away from the Adaptor and sat back down. Having finished her own glass of juice, Godai placed her emptied drink in the nearby sink and let out a tired huff. "While I still think it was pretty reckless of you to charge in head-first like that, what you did still helped out someone in the end. So, I guess it balances itself out." The tall woman strolled over to Lanfen's side and playfully clapped her on the shoulder. "Try to be more careful next time, though. Can't operate as a team if you're always runnin' off by yourself like that, if you catch my drift."
Subconsciously shrinking underneath the honest advice of her old school seniors, Lanfen quietly nodded at Godai's words while the three continued lingering around the commons lounge. Godai headed back to the dart-boards to reset her game. Ayano had taken out her smartphone again to compile a list of clothes to buy. Meanwhile, Lanfen could only lay her head down on the cold, marble counter in an attempt to restore her energy. Just this morning, she had to process the thought of being recruited into the same organization her parents once operated in. A few hours afterwards, the council proceeded to unveil the true purpose of the SG-r04. And now, they had discovered a silver-haired woman who held no memory about her identity.
Lanfen was by no means physically weak. But her body could only go so far before it began running on fumes.
Dragging herself off the hard marble with a click of her tongue, Lanfen stuffed her hands within her jacket's pockets and dragged her feet over to the lounge's entrance. "If you need me, I'll be in the barracks." She heard her teammates both wishing her a good night. And yet, Lanfen could hardly register their voices. She could barely even perceive the hissing of the lounge's automatic door when it slid open for her. Holding back a tired yawn behind one hand, Lanfen felt a sudden vibration on her wrist device, and glanced at its communicator to notice an incoming message.
In fact, the wrist devices on all three of the women's arms were now ringing in unison from a single text message.
Standing beneath the open doorway with one hand on her hip, Lanfen's device was the first one to project the arriving information. When the Adaptor narrowed her tired eyes on the forming hologram, she quickly skimmed through its multiple paragraphs, quickly confirming that it had been personally written, prepared, and sent out by Commander Genjuuro himself. Almost immediately, Ayano began cheering in her seat with brimming excitement, because the arriving message turned out to be a long, formal statement, announcing how as of today, Symphogear Team-04 will be officially operating in Japan with a fourth additional member under its care. A member who shall be referred to from here on out by the name of 'Shinonome Aiko'.